Orphans Beloved… Community Theater…II
by regertz
Summary: : Like my Immortal Beloved bits in my Buffyverse stories, these are fragments and short bits, some longer…Just to fiddle with ideas, possibly forming longer tales later.


Orphans Beloved… "Community Theater…II"

Summary: Like my Immortal Beloved bits in my Buffyverse stories, these are fragments and short bits, some longer…Just to fiddle with ideas, possibly forming longer tales later. I do plan at least one longer tale, "Nessun Dorma" but that's just getting sketched now.

Disclaimer: No copywrite infringement intended.

(Ok, another view…not another chapter...)

"Are you stronger or not…?" grim-faced Thomas…

"Yes, yes…I am. I am stronger, Thomas. I sent the Master of Hell a message…I cut his minion's tale."

"You must be to destroy the abominations…" narrow look… "But why then did you not kill the imposter, the other?"

"She and I…We have a connection, Thomas. She gave me the Devil's minion and a name. Sarah."

"She is deceiving you, just as I said." Thomas frowned. "You are weak, Helena…You are imperfect. You will never cleanse yourself and prove that you are the Original."

"No…No, Thomas…" anxious look… "No, I am strong, Thomas. I am the stronger."

"I have wanted to believe you. But now…" hard stare. "I begin to think you are weak like the other. That you are not the Original and I am mistaken. She is stronger."

"No!" Helena, desperate. "I am the stronger…She is the abomination and she will die like the others when her time comes! I have a name…I will find this one and the imposter."

"It can wait…I have a name for you, now. It is time to prove yourself, Helena." Thomas glared. "Are you ready to prove yourself to God?"

"Yes, yes! What is the name? Where is she?"

"For this one, it will be special…" Thomas, grimly.

"I need to talk to Allison, Donnie…I don't bleedin' care if you're still on retreat." Sarah to phone…"She what?" frown…

"Well, get her out of solitary meditation…I need to speak to her. Something happened tonight. Something big." She glanced over to Paul seated on Felix's sofa…Trying to look vaguely comfortable.

"We found a direct link between Neolution and Olivier…Yes…And Helena's on the killpath again…Yes, that Helena. Good…Ok." She hung up.

"Ally's in 'solitary meditation' tonight. She chose to be alone, he says. I thought they went up there to be together." She frowned at Paul.

"Probably clearing her head…Given what you say she takes and how I've seen her behaving…She may just have wanted to dry out a little first." Paul noted.

"He should be keepin' a close eye on her…He knows the score now." Sarah frowned.

Buzz…

"Hey…" she put phone to ear. "What do you mean, she asked to leave? Donnie, you're her husband…Don't you keep tabs on her? Don't give me the sensitive husband crap…You're also her protector, such as you are…And makin' a pretty poor job of it, by my reckonin'. Well, can't you reach her on cell? Wanted to see the kids…? Donnie…It's not even one day…Fine. I'll try, she has your phone I assume? Cute. What is it?" she reached for paper and pen, quickly writing as Paul watched.

"Call her again and if she won't come back, go…Right…Ok, then. Just try and stay with her. No, I don't think Helena will be coming for her tonight, but Lord knows Donnie, we have to stay close with that one and the others running about, ok? Ok? Great, yeah, I'm comin' to think of you as a distant cousin, ok? Bye." Sigh.

"Now he's all 'I want you to think of me as a brother, Sarah'…He should be keepin' an eye on Ally."

"Allison's not going to die tonight because you didn't stop Helena." Paul noted. "You told her nothing to lead her that way. So Allison couldn't stay one night away from the kids?"

"Mommie nerves…" Sarah shrugged, dialing. "Donnie's renting a car to come down after her. Yo, Ally. Yeah, this is me. Yeah I know it's not a good idea to talk on the phone while driving, why are you on the road? Ally…? You wanted this retreat thing, you couldn't stay one night without seeing the tykes? Donnie's coming back down. Because he's worried and no matter what you told him, it's not safe for you to be alone like that, at least at night. But as long as you're coming down, wait for him and then call me. I'll come over and tell you what's happened. We've got some news. Ok. Ok…No, he wasn't upset about it…Besides you two can head right back after you've seen the kids and we talk. Right. Right. Right. Good. Bye." Glance to Paul.

"Retreats do cost money…" he smiled. "And she probably manages the family budget…"

"Which she blew out of the water by insistin' on this one and then comin' back." Sarah frowned. "Well, at least she'll be here and we can talk there."

"Shall I?"

"Ally's on edge already and doesn't trust you…Plus she hates that thing about you and her we made up and it would be messy if the neighbor saw you and me comin' over."

"Assuming the neighbor isn't a monitor. Cause if she is, she'll probably just try to kill me and see if you're Ally or you." Paul noted.

"Probably…" nod. Buzz…

"Hello, Donniekins. No, not Ally, it's me. Yeah, I would imagine she'd freak at a second call on the road. Ok, good…I'll be coming over after you both get in. What? Just some new info on Olivier and Neolution, including they know I'm not Beth and they tried to snatch or kill me tonight. And Helena told me a little about herself. Yeah, we did lunch." Grin to Paul. "She's Ukrainian, raised by a religious order…Which explains a few…What? Ukrainian, from the Ukraine…Near…Yeah. What?"

"Ally's Ukrainian…" Donnie told his open phone. "She was adopted at 14 by an American family. Took her years to lose the accent."

"Is she?" Sarah, blinking...

"Donnie?..."

"Yeah…?"

"Ally wasn't feeling so well at that potluck the other weekend…Was she sick or anything that week? Really? Old stomach trouble, eh? And had a check-in to see if her lady parts were ok…Sorry, had a gyn consult. And more anxiety?" nod…Paul staring… "And scarfing pills, eh? Uh-huh. Donnie? Ally does community theater, doesn't she?" Sarah asked the phone…

"Donnie?" she shook phone…

"Sarah?" Donnie eyed phone…Oops…No charge…

Well…Call her from home.

Why the heck would matter if Ally does community theater? I hope the girls aren't getting some crazy ideas about sending her in somewhere…?

No way…We'll do our part but there have to be some limits…

Ukraine…Hmmn…So crazy girl and Ally are from the Ukraine?

Well…She did say it sounded like some KGB thing…And the Ukraine's a big place..Small world. He sighed eyeing the road.

God, I hope we can get back tonight…I'm sure she said the weekend deposit was non-refundable.

Funny… After we get in? Ally's been home for hours…She never even went to the meditation.

"Well, she meant me, of course…Now…As to this crazy Neolution stuff…?"

"Sarah, that's crazy." Paul frowned.

"She's from Ukraine…She was sick at the same time Helena was out…She slipped away from Donnie at the retreat and was gone for hours…Paul…"

"By that logic, you could be Beth pretending to be Sarah…" he noted. "Testing me…Or someone else, neither Sarah nor Beth." Grin.

"I'm not kidding, Paul. She said she knew we had a connection…She let me go, because she knew me. How could she know me, trust me like that unless…Some part of her does know me?"

"Sarah…She couldn't be that…"

"I was…And she's an actress…Community theater but…"

"Fine…We'll go over…We check things out…We can tell her and watch her freak out at the notion and start wondering if it's true…"

Stern look…"Paul…She was hospitalized for her condition after her miscarriage when she found out she's sterile…Sterile because of something Leekie or whoever may have done to her. What if she and Donnyboy didn't tell us all? He didn't seem all that shocked at the way she acted at the potluck…What if she's been violent before?"

"Donnie wouldn't live with a mad killer, Sarah…He may not catch on to things quickly but…And he does seem to care about his wife and his kids."

"Maybe…And what if he's never had any idea what she's capable of…Lets go over…Now…"

"Fine…Is this paranoia thing a family trait or could I try dating Cosima?"

Glare…

"No…" gasp…

"Do…" accented voice in the dark of the Hendrix bedroom… "Do or I hurt…" touch of knife to side.

"Donnie?" terrified voice…Allison … "Do what she says…Please…"

"No…Ally…Uh…"

"Ok, then…" pull of knife away… "I hurt her instead…Call them and tell them…Everything is fine, you and wifey are going back to your nice vacation. Ok?"

"Don't do this…Please…" Donnie reached for the knife.

"It's all right, Donnie…Don't…OH!" scream as knife cut into her leg.

"Ally, honey, for God's sake!"

"The weak shall perish…The chosen shall survive…" Helena's voice. "Call…"

"OH!..." Allison's scream…

"I'm dialing…Stop it!…"

"Fine…Tell them." Calm tone.

"I can't see it…Just let me turn on…"

"Just lamp. There…" blood-stained finger pointing in dark.

Whimper from Allison… "Donnie…Don't let her hurt anyone."

"That is in God's hands…" Helena…

"It'll be ok, Ally…Just let me…" lean, grab…Crash of lamp…

"Uh…" he gasped at the stabbing…Falling back…

"Donnie!" scream…Allison jumping up, turning on light…Donnie moaning on the floor…

She stumbling over, hand on bleeding leg… "Donnie?!" she looked over… "You crazy freak!..." she eyed Helena, staring…Knife in hand.

Grabbing and swinging the lamp in her other hand to smash the bedroom door mirror, wig askew on her head, knife in her other hand. "Don't you come near him! Get out of my house!" smashing at the door…

Paul rushing…She fell back from the suddenly opened door…Wig on floor, knife dropped…

"She was here!" Allison eyed him…Turning to Donnie. "She was in my house! She hurt Donnie…"

"No, Sarah!" Paul grabbed her as Sarah tried to come in…Allison dropping to knees, grabbing cell phone.

"Sarah! She was here! She hurt him!...911?! There's been a stabbing…My husband, by an intruder!" she told the phone.

Sarah staring at Allison in Helena's coat…Blood trickling from her stabbed leg…Wig on blood-soaked floor, knife…

"Donnie…" Allison moaned… "Oh, she hurt him, why did she hurt him? Sarah?" she looked up.

"We'll find her and catch her, Ally. I think I know where she's gone. Lets just take care of Donnie now." She eyed Paul who nodded…Moving to scoop up the knife.

"Towel…" Allison snapped… "Not those, the ones in the cupboard! Hurry!"

Donnie groaning…Eyeing Sarah who'd moved cautiously by the weeping Allison…Hand on her shoulder as she handed over the towels.

"The…Knife…" gasp… "Prints…"

"Donnie?...You'll be ok…Don't talk…I'll take care of you. You'll be ok." Allison…Gently pressing towel

"I'll wipe the prints and put it back…" Paul hissed.

"What?" Allison looked up…

"We don't want the police gettin' the wrong idea…" Sarah explained, carefully. "All our prints'll match."

"Oh…Right…" Allison nodded. "Good idea."

Donnie, grateful beam…

Paul waving to Sarah who rose cautiously…

"I'll just be a minute with Paul, Ally…Right back…"

"Ok…" nodding… "He'll be ok…You go catch that maniac."

"Right…" Sarah, wan smile.

"She'd better change…" Paul noted in whisper as Sarah came to him, he glancing down at Allison now stroking Donnie's head as he lay.

"She already has…Several times at least tonight." Sarah replied.

"Demons are prowlin' everywhere…Nowadays…" Allison sang, low voice to Donnie… "I'll send them howlin', I don't care…I got ways…"

Sarah eyeing Paul…

"We did 'Sweeney Todd' last year at the Theater House…Donnie loves this song." Allison beaming, cooing…Stroking… "Nothing's gonna hurt you, nothing's gonna dare…"


End file.
